Steven Gerrard might have made a big deal over Mario Balotelli's insistence on taking Liverpool's penalty in their 1-0 win over Besiktas, but the Liverpool captain's comments from earlier in the season indicate the striker was right to take the ball from Jordan Henderson.

Injured midfielder Gerrard, working as a ITV pundit for Liverpool's first-leg Europa League win, accused Balotelli of showing 'disrespect' and labelled him 'mischievous' after he took the winning penalty ahead of stand-in skipper Henderson.

But with Balotelli having missed just two of his 29 career penalties, Gerrard spoke out earlier this season to confirm that the £16million summer signing would be Brendan Rodgers' second-choice spot-kick taker.

Balotelli takes the ball to take the penalty from Henderson despite the stand-in skipper's inital protests

Sturridge looked furious at Balotelli for questioning Henderson's authority and taking the spot-kick

While Besiktas' players argued with the referee over the penalty, Liverpool argued among themselves

All was well in the end though when Balotelli fired the penalty into Cenk Gonen's bottom corner for a 1-0 win

Balotelli sought out Henderson after scoring the goal and later thanked him with this Instagram post

Balotelli (right) shares a laugh with Raheem Sterling after his penalty spat at Anfield on Thursday night

Henderson (right) was also back in training at Melwood on Friday with Emre Can and Daniel Sturridge

PENALTY RECORDS PROVE THAT MARIO WAS RIGHT

Player

Taken

Scored

Success rate

Balotelli

25

23

92 per cent

Henderson

1

0

0 per cent

Sturridge

3

2

67 per cent

Sterling

1

0

0 per cent

Gerrard

34

29

85 per cent

Lambert

6

6

100 per cent

Data provided by opta. Records for Steven Gerrard and Rickie Lambert are for league matches only.

'I'm aware he's a terrific penalty taker,' Gerrard said in August after scoring a penalty for Liverpool in their 3-0 win at Tottenham.

'I'm sure he'll get the chance to take some penalties for the club. The manager's told me if I'm not on the pitch he'll take them.'

And given Balotelli's record - it was a good decision for him to take the ball, as proven when he converted.

Henderson, on the other hand, has never scored a penalty in a match of this magnitude and was not even mentioned by Gerrard as one of his spot-kick replacements back in August, putting him behind Balotelli and Rickie Lambert in that regard.

Daniel Sturridge, the other option on the field, has missed one of three penalties in the Premier League and who would not have inspired the same confidence in The Kop that Balotelli's presence did as fans sang his name during the argument.

Gerrard said on ITV that Balotelli was disrespectful but had previously said he would be second-choice

Balotelli (right) also hitched a lift in as he got back to work at Liverpool's Melwood training base

Sturridge gives the thumbs up through the window of his car as he arrives at Melwood

The incident didn't do wonders for Henderson's image as a captain, though. The Anfield club's vice-captain was starting with the armband for just the eighth time but saw his authority brought into question by Balotelli.

Henderson later went on to say: 'I wanted the penalty, Mario felt confident and he has taken big penalties before.

'Everyone wants to take them. I felt confident in Mario, he has taken big penalties before and he got the nod.'

Gerrard, sat up in the television box, wouldn't have put up with such behaviour and it seems unlikely that even the Italian forward would have taken the same action.

Instead, with three months and 10 days left until Gerrard's potential final game for Liverpool - the FA Cup final - questions surround the respect for the man who takes over his role when the 34-year-old moves on to LA Galaxy.

Balotelli waves a hand at Sturridge as he prepares to put the ball down for the ultimately successful spot-kick

It's not the first time Sturridge has shown anger on the field, but this time it did not seem to be in self interest

Sturridge was still complaining about Balotelli's actions even after the Italian put Liverpool ahead

The £16million forward casts an eye over to his strike-partner during the Europa League first-leg win

Liverpool's players, and in particular Balotelli, looked to be having a laugh at Melwood on Friday

Balotelli and Henderson were both in as the Reds recovered from their Europa League extertions

SPORTSMAIL'S JAMIE CARRAGHER: MARIO WAS THE BEST OPTION TO TAKE PENALTY AGAINST BESIKTAS

Sportsmail columnist and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher said on Kicca:

'Mario would never have been on the penalties because he was on the bench, the same would have applied to Stevie if he was on the bench.

'Sturridge was supposed to take it and looked a little peeved along with Henderson but at that moment the best penalty taker LFC had on the pitch was Balotelli as we've seen with his spot kicks for Man City.

'So in this instance I was ok with it because the main penalty taker wasn't on the pitch in Gerrard. And also because he scored!'

(Carragher later clarified that Henderson was the original chosen taker, not Sturridge)

And while Henderson eventually allowed Balotelli to take the decisive penalty, which the goalscorer thanked him for later, Sturridge seemed less than happy - even after the ball found the bottom-left corner with goalkeeper Cenk Gonen sent the wrong way.

The England forward was seen ranting to Alberto Moreno away from the celebrations in scenes that brought back images of his petulant reaction to being substituted by Rodgers against Everton last January - for which he later offered an apology.

Should Liverpool pick up another spot-kick in the return leg in Istanbul or against Southampton on Sunday, another decision may have to be made. Gerrard doesn't expect to be back in action until two weeks time and thinks the second leg will come too soon.

'I think I'm a couple of weeks away from returning to playing but it's settled down well,' he told ITV.

'I don't really want to put a target game on the injury. I think next week will come too soon.'

Sturridge did not even seem pleased to be taking the lead - a contrast to his partnership with Luis Suarez

Gordon Strachan, Peter Reid and Gerrard talk through the decision-making process over the penalty

Henderson will take over the captaincy from Gerrard when he leaves for LA Galaxy in the summer